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Ngata injury?

Everybody keeps commenting on a Ngata injury. I know it was suspected that his leg was injured, but is there any definitive information out there? I sure hope he did have an injury, because his
play certainty came down towards the end of the year.

Re: Ngata injury?

Originally Posted by Yards

Everybody keeps commenting on a Ngata injury. I know it was suspected that his leg was injured, but is there any definitive information out there? I sure hope he did have an injury, because his
play certainty came down towards the end of the year.

Re: Ngata injury?

My GUESS is part injury MORE to do with losing the 25 lbs in the offseason wore him down. Bet he puts it on again this offseason, not be used to playing weight hurts your game. We saw what bulking up did bad for Krugers game, it takes 2 years to get used to weight change. Ngata put the 25 back on and he won't wear down.

Re: Ngata injury?

Originally Posted by Boulderraven

My GUESS is part injury MORE to do with losing the 25 lbs in the offseason wore him down. Bet he puts it on again this offseason, not be used to playing weight hurts your game. We saw what bulking up did bad for Krugers game, it takes 2 years to get used to weight change. Ngata put the 25 back on and he won't wear down.

I'm not really following that logic.

Kruger bulking up caused him to slow down and lose quickness. That's a lot different than Ngata losing weight, which would increase quickness and endurance. If his body was used to moving a 345lb frame over the duration of a full season and he drops 25lbs in the off-season (while still eating well and working out...it's not like he lost 25lbs of muscle) then physiologically his body would respond better and be able to last longer because it would be moving a smaller frame.

Teams game-plan around Ngata, Suggs, and Ed Reed. The Pats successfully doubled Ngata and Suggs leaving Redding, Cody, and JJ 1-on-1 with blockers and it worked because all of those guys were rendered useless. The only guy who won his 1-on-1 battle was Kruger against Nate Solder.

Re: Ngata injury?

We saw what Wilfork did with his weight. Typically in my understanding it takes two years to get used to weight change. Ngata's game is POWER and MASS, he lost alot of that. He negated his asset and it showed as the year wore on. He can probably be as agile at 350lbs as 320, cause he has been that way for years. He is best at using strength to collapse pocket inside and bullrush, to me he lost that. He knows it for sure. 25 lbs is alot to lose and retain strength and endurance. He used to throw lineman around at 345 but not at his new weight. He can still add quickness and endurance to his game at 345, just tweak the training while keeping weight up.

Re: Ngata injury?

Originally Posted by Boulderraven

We saw what Wilfork did with his weight. Typically in my understanding it takes two years to get used to weight change. Ngata's game is POWER and MASS, he lost alot of that. He negated his asset and it showed as the year wore on. He can probably be as agile at 350lbs as 320, cause he has been that way for years. He is best at using strength to collapse pocket inside and bullrush, to me he lost that. He knows it for sure. 25 lbs is alot to lose and retain strength and endurance. He used to throw lineman around at 345 but not at his new weight. He can still add quickness and endurance to his game at 345, just tweak the training while keeping weight up.

To me he was just victim to the Ravens not having anyone else consistent on the DL. When Redding was in fire the 1st half of the season it made a huge difference, but he wore down, got hurt, and wasn't the same at all. That, IMO, was one of the biggest factors in the defense slowing down at the end of the season. Cody is a good player, but he's not able to really get moving fast enough and ends up standing the center or guard up at the LOS, which is fine because it works against the run, but against the pass it allows for him to be singled and Ngata to be doubled.

Get another pass rusher - consistent pass rusher - opposite of Suggs and Ngata (be it a DT/DE or OLB) and I think we'll see a big change in Ngata's capabilities because he won't draw doubles as much. Same with Suggs.

Re: Ngata injury?

Originally Posted by Boulderraven

We saw what Wilfork did with his weight. Typically in my understanding it takes two years to get used to weight change. Ngata's game is POWER and MASS, he lost alot of that. He negated his asset and it showed as the year wore on. He can probably be as agile at 350lbs as 320, cause he has been that way for years. He is best at using strength to collapse pocket inside and bullrush, to me he lost that. He knows it for sure. 25 lbs is alot to lose and retain strength and endurance. He used to throw lineman around at 345 but not at his new weight. He can still add quickness and endurance to his game at 345, just tweak the training while keeping weight up.

I would agree with you if he didn't have such a dominant first 7 games. He was lights out up until after the Arizona game (with the exception of the Jacksonville game). If it was a case of him not being as powerful or as heavy as he was previously why did he have such a dominant first half? If it was a question of him wearing down why did his play decline as early as week 7? If he physically wore down that shouldn't have been apparent until after the halfway point. He played really well two of the three games after the bye. I'm inclined to believe he was either hurt (not something significant enough to keep from playing obviously but enough to render him less then 100%) or he had something else distracting him. The double teams aren't the reason either. He's been double teamed on a regular basis since after his rookie year and has beaten it quite consistently. Was he not double teamed the first seven games?

Re: Ngata injury?

Originally Posted by Cj34

I would agree with you if he didn't have such a dominant first 7 games. He was lights out up until after the Arizona game (with the exception of the Jacksonville game). If it was a case of him not being as powerful or as heavy as he was previously why did he have such a dominant first half? If it was a question of him wearing down why did his play decline as early as week 7? If he physically wore down that shouldn't have been apparent until after the halfway point. He

played really well two of the three games after the bye. I'm inclined to believe he

was either hurt (not something significant enough to keep from playing obviously but enough to render him less then 100%) or he had something else distracting him. The double teams aren't the reason either. He's been double teamed on aregular basis since after his rookie year and has beaten it quite consistently. Was he not double teamed the first seven games?

that's why think both, little due to injury and later in the season having to due with weight and strength and being used to being at that weight for many years. He looked to light for me. He lost a lot of weight. There's is your beginning of the arson strength and weight and end of the season weight and strength 2 totally different things entirely.